"Self-referentiality"in Drabble’s Major Novels

Margaret Drabble is a key figure in the sphere of British Literature. Whilepostmodernism pervades, Drabble distinguishes herself by displaying realism in herliterary creation. Once she was interviewed and said that“I’d rather be at the end of adying tradition, which I admire than at the beginning of a tradition I deplore”(Bergonzi, 1970: 78). Till now, Drabble has published seventeen novels, ten shortstories, four plays, six books of criticism, five editions and innumerable articles to hercredit. After reading Drabble’s novels, the author finds that most of the protagonists inDrabble’s novels are women, especially those knowledgeable women with universitydegrees and satisfactory jobs, who range from the newly graduated young to themiddle-aged who have experienced much in their life. Those women have similarcharacteristics and life experiences with Drabble herself. There is so much of theauthor in the women characters she has created: an obvious feature ofself-referentiality.This thesis analyzes Drabble’s A Summer Bird-Cage, The Millstone and ThePeppered Moth from the perspective of self-referentiality. Through the analysis of theclosing relation between Drabble and the three protagonists each in the three novels,the thesis attempts to identify the phenomenon of self-referentiality in Drabble’snovels and to reveal Drabble’s consciousness in exploring an ideal way of existencefor a woman. Besides the introduction and the conclusion, the thesis falls into fourchapters.In the introduction, the author introduces some background information aboutMargaret Drabble and her works, as well as her achievements in literature. A detailedliterature review both at home and abroad is also made in this part.Chapter One presents the definition of self-referentiality as well as itsdevelopment. What follows is a brief demonstration of the self-referentiality inDrabble’s three novels.Chapter Two analyzes the similar characters between Drabble and the protagonistChrissie in The Peppered Moth. Both being a daughter, they underwent an unhappychildhood and had a bad relationship with their own mother. Drabble made herprotagonist complete her regret of smoothing the bad relation with mother in the endof the novel. Chapter Three details Sarah’s situation in A Summer Bird-Cage, and then makesa comparison with Drabble’s life experiences as a younger sister. They both are thesecond child in the family and have an elder sister. And their relationship with theirelder sister is rival.Chapter Four exhibits another period in the life of Drabble as well as ofRosamund in The Millstone, both having children and being a mother. In dealing withthe relationship with children and balancing work and family, Drabble and Rosamundachieve an agreement.Based on the above analysis, the study comes to the conclusion thatself-referentiality is evident in Drabble’s novels. The heroines’endeavor to quest foran ideal way for modern intellectual women is surely Drabble’s own.